The International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG) is a multidisciplinary, scientific platform for widening the debate on problems of Ethics applied to Geosciences.
The IAPG is affiliated to the IUGS - International Union of Geological Sciences, AGI - American Geosciences Institute, GSA - Geological Society of America, GSL - Geological Society of London, GIRAF - Geoscience Information in Africa Network, ICPHS - International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

GEOITALIA 2013

The Italian territory is characterized by a geological heritage of extraordinary richness. At the same time, it is subjected to unceasing evolutionary dynamics and natural phenomena with great hazards. Those who live in this territory expect answers from science, alternating trust with mistrust or in some cases with an attitude of proverbial fatalism. Geologists are called to play a fundamental role in society, since their activities have obvious ethical implications. To them are entrusted the tasks of safeguarding the geodiversity and enhancing the geological heritage and culture, of studying and managing natural hazards, of informing the population about natural risks, and of controlling that the exploitation of geo-resources takes place in an eco-friendly and socio-friendly manner. But are geologists aware of these responsibilities? What measures should be taken to enable them to fully assume the commitment to serve society? The session aims to widen the debate on these issues, through the contributions of Italian and international speakers, having skills and experience in different fields. Geologists, philosophers of science, journalists and politicians, each from their own point of view, will be able to compare their ideas on the common plane of geoethics, to offer an effective response to the needs of society.

The Italian landscape represent the binomial risk/resource, which features with its contradiction throughout the national country, offering continuous questions to the parallel combination of defense / management, in relation to cases where the natural environment is a high source of risk to the population that insists on the territory, and at the same time a resource for the beauty expressed by the forms of the landscape. To know the environment in which we live is a process vital, even for the purpose of survival, and the difficult journey towards knowledge has been characterized, in different eras, from different types of approaches, conditioned by the availability of means and resources, but also the particular historical periods, social, political. The survey on the evolution of the phenomena that are to be determined temporally and spatially, and their description, representation and analysis; existing interactions between man, his social forms organized on the territory and the physical environment are priority activities, whose task it is to the geologist. At 50 years after the tragedy of Vajont, the themes of shared knowledge, awareness, perception of risk, they are still open and prevention practices are still a goal away dramatically. It is therefore essential to disseminate scientific heritage available, implementing the communications processes, with new codes and strategies, are able to make individual / community / society aware of the territorial reality, in order to trigger such behavior, constant and shared. The strategies of participatory democracy are based on this assumption indispensable, aiming to involve the public in the management and development policies and practices in the area of prevention.This session it wants to, starting from the identification, monitoring and analysis, including historical, natural calamities (landslides, earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, etc..), lay the foundation to build and disseminate appropriate dissemination tools useful both for understanding the fragility of the Italian territory and to raise awareness of the need to completely change mindsets and procedures. The common goal-to the world of research and society - must aim at overcoming the usual sterile and activities of mere repair of the damage, to arrive at shared behaviors based on the conscious knowledge, an essential basis for initiating concrete actions prevention, mitigation and recovery, in mutual interaction and integration.